A cold front combined with a strong jet stream aloft and tight surface pressure gradient produced high winds across eastern Washington. Damage was reported in or near Cle Elum, Easton, Toppenish, Grandview, and Sunnyside.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
A cold front combined with a strong jet stream aloft and tight surface pressure gradient produced high winds across eastern Washington. Damage was reported in or near Cle Elum, Easton, Toppenish, Grandview, and Sunnyside. Wind gusts reported in miles per hour included High Bridge RAWS (65), Yakima (78), 10 miles east northeast of Goldendale (59), Rattlesnake Springs (62), Prosser Barricade (62), Gable Mountain (72), Hanford EOC (71), Yakima Barricade (58), Ringold (66), Richland Airport (64), Pasco Airport (59), Priest Rapids Dam (83), Prosser (59), Pasco ASOS (67), Kennewick Airport (61), and 3 miles west of Kennewick (58).
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 15, 9:20 PM PST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
920 PM PST MON NOV 15 2010
.SHORT TERM...WINDS ARE INCREASING ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA
THIS EVENING AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
STRONGEST WINDS SO FAR HAVE BEEN IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADES WHERE
THE COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL JET ARE LOCATED. HAVE REPORTS OF WIND
GUSTS OF 50-80 MPH OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE
WINDS HAVE INCREASED ARE CURRENTLY SEEING 20-40 MPH. AS THE FRONT
AND JET MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND NORTHERN OREGON
CASCADES WINDS WILL INCREASE IN THESE AREAS LATER THIS EVENING AS
WELL. 00Z MODEL DATA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE HIGH WINDS THROUGH
TONIGHT AS DOES THE WATER VAPOR IMAGE. THE 00Z RADIOSONDE FROM UIL
ALSO SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL WINDS. THE CURRENT
SET OF WIND ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS LOOKS GOOD WITH NO CHANGES FOR
NOW. AS FOR PRECIPITATION MOST OF THE RAIN IS CURRENTLY OVER THE
CASCADES IN STRONG ONSHORE FLOW. DOWNSLOPE FLOW RESULTING IN MAINLY
DRY CONDITIONS EAST OF THE CASCADES INTO THE BASIN. OTHER AREA OF
PRECIPITATION WILL BE OVER THE BLUES. GRADIENTS AND WINDS ALOFT
SUPPORT BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS CONTINUING TUESDAY WITH
THE STRONGER WINDS DIMINISHING DURING THE MORNING. 94
.AVIATION...06Z TAFS. STRONG WINDS LIKELY AT THE TAF SITES TONIGHT
INTO TUESDAY MORNING AS A WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE REGION.
SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS 20-40 KT WITH SOME GUSTS TO 50 KT ARE
EXPECTED. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE AT THE COLUMBIA BASIN
LOCATIONS LATER TONIGHT...WITH LESS WIND EXPECTED AT RDM AND YKM.
WINDS WILL DIMINISH SOME TUESDAY MORNING BUT SHOULD REMAIN IN THE
15-35 KT RANGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...THEN DECREASE IN THE EVENING.
PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE LIMITED MAINLY TO THE CASCADES AND BLUE
MOUNTAINS. CLOUD LAYER WILL BE SCT-BKN 040-080. 94
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 200 PM PST MON NOV 15 2010/
SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...A VIGOROUS WEATHER
DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE DOWN THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF A LARGE AND STRONG
HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT IS CENTERED OVER THE EAST CENTRAL PACIFIC.
THE INTERACTION OF THESE TWO FEATURES WILL LEAD TO RAPIDLY
TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENTS BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE AND THE
LOWER PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE WEATHER DISTURBANCE. PRESSURE
DIFFERENCES OF 16 MB ARE FORECAST BETWEEN PORTLAND AND SPOKANE...
WHICH IS CONSIDERED VERY SIGNIFICANT. A COLD FRONT WILL SLIDE
SOUTHEAST AND CROSS OVER THE CASCADES AROUND 4-5 PM THIS AFTERNOON
WITH TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENTS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CASCADES AS
A LEE SIDE TROUGH DEVELOPS WITH AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. THE COLD
FRONT WILL ALSO PROVIDE SOME VERTICAL MIXING OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO
HELP PULL DOWN STRONGER WINDS ALOFT TO THE SURFACE...ESPECIALLY OVER
THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON CASCADES. IN ADDITION AN UPPER
JET STREAM WIND MAXIMUM WILL BE PERPENDICULAR TO THE CASCADE RANGE
WHICH WILL CAUSE A MOUNTAIN WAVE TO DEVELOP JUST EAST OF THE CASCADE
CREST. DOWNWARD TRANSPORT OF THESE STRONG WINDS ALOFT ON THE DOWN
SLOPE LEE SIDE OF THE CASCADES COMBINED WITH THE VERTICAL MIXING
FROM THE COLD FRONT WILL RESULT IN STRONG WINDS AT THE SURFACE ALONG
THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES AS WELL AS THE ADJACENT VALLEYS...THE LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN AND THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS TO THE EAST. ALSO
WINDS WILL INCREASE IN THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND IN NORTH
CENTRAL OREGON. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 30 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN A PORTION OF THESE
AREAS WITH LESSER WIND SPEEDS EXPECTED IN OTHER AREAS THAT ARE LESS
PRONE TO HIGH WINDS IN THESE SCENARIOS...SUCH AS NORTH CENTRAL
OREGON AND THE WASHINGTON PORTION OF THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS. A
NUMBER OF HIGH WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORIES WILL BE IN EFFECT
FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING UNTIL AROUND 10 AM TUESDAY MORNING.
THERE IS AN AREA OF UP SLOPE LIGHT RAIN FALLING OVER THE BLUE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON AS THE NORTHWEST UP SLOPE
FLOW INCREASES. AT THE SAME TIME THERE IS PRECIPITATION SHADOWING
TAKING PLACE ALONG THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES AND ADJACENT VALLEYS TO
THE EAST DUE TO THE DRYING EFFECT OF THE DOWN SLOPE WINDS OFF THE
CASCADES. SNOW LEVELS ARE FAIRLY HIGH SO AM NOT EXPECTING ANY WINTER
WEATHER THREAT AT ANY OF THE PASS LEVELS TONIGHT OR TUESDAY. HOWEVER
SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER ON TUESDAY NIGHT AS COLDER AIR BEGINS TO
FILTER INTO THE REGION FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. A WEAK HIGH
PRESSURE RIDGE WILL BRING A BREAK IN THE WEATHER WITH A CALM PERIOD
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE
REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THE EXTENDED PERIOD WITH COLDER
TEMPERATURES. 88
LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...MODELS ARE IN GENERAL
AGREEMENT ON ESTABLISHING A LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND. A COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY
BRINGING MOUNTAIN SNOW AND LOWER ELEVATION RAIN. THERE COULD BE SOME
HEAVY AMOUNTS OF SNOW ALONG THE WASHINGTON CASCADE CREST REGION AND
OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ABOVE 4000 FEET WITH THIS SYSTEM. SHOWERY
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL INTO THE WEEKEND. BY THE END OF THE
WEEKEND...THE MODELS CONTINUE TO AT LEAST HINT AT AN ARCTIC FRONT
CROSSING THE AREA WITH MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND SOME CHANCE FOR
SNOW EVEN AT THE LOWEST ELEVATIONS. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE DISSIMILAR
ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE PATTERN EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE GFS MORE
BULLISH ON THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW OVER THE LOWER
ELEVATIONS. THIS SITUATION WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED IN THE COMING
DAYS. 78
AVIATION...00Z TAFS...MAIN AVIATION HAZARD WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE
WINDS BEGINNING THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AT KYKM...KPSC...
KPDT...KALW...AND KDLS WHERE GUSTS AOA 40KT ARE POSSIBLE BETWEEN 03Z
AND 15Z. THERE WILL ALSO BE SOME CEILINGS HOVERING AROUND 3000 FT
AGL WHICH COULD POSE A CONCERN UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING WHEN SKIES
SHOULD BEGIN TO CLEAR. 78
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 45 50 37 52 / 30 10 10 10
ALW 48 52 41 54 / 40 10 10 10
PSC 45 54 36 56 / 10 10 10 10
YKM 39 50 31 52 / 20 10 10 20
HRI 46 53 36 55 / 20 10 10 10
ELN 43 50 33 52 / 20 10 10 30
RDM 39 47 28 49 / 20 10 10 10
LGD 44 46 34 48 / 50 20 10 10
GCD 43 46 35 48 / 40 10 10 10
DLS 47 52 38 54 / 30 10 10 20
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY ORZ044-507-508.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY ORZ041-042.
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY WAZ028.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY WAZ024.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY WAZ026-027-520-521.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY WAZ029.
&&
THREAT INDEX
TUESDAY : RED
WEDNESDAY : YELLOW
THURSDAY : GREEN
GREEN: NONE OR LIMITED NEED FOR WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES.
YELLOW: A FEW WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT.
RED: NUMEROUS WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT.
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
94/HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1000 AM PST MON NOV 15 2010
ORZ041-042-044-049-050-502-503-505>509-WAZ024-026>030-520-521-
161415-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-JOHN DAY BASIN-OCHOCO-
JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON-KITTITAS VALLEY-
YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES-SIMCOE HIGHLANDS-
1000 AM PST MON NOV 15 2010
UPDATED FOR HIGH WIND WARNINGS
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
STRONG WIND
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS,
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE REGION OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WINDS
MIXING DOWN FROM ALOFT WILL RESULT IN STRONG/DAMAGING SURFACE
WINDS. NUMEROUS HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN
EFFECT. REFER TO PDXNPWPDT FOR THE LATEST DETAILS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
STRONG WIND TUESDAY
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS,
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
THE STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE
SUBSIDING.
SNOW THURSDAY
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS,
KITTITAS VALLEY, YAKIMA VALLEY, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
WASHINGTON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON
CASCADES, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY, NORTHERN BLUE
MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, JOHN DAY
BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS
ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA ON THURSDAY WITH A
CHANCE OF SNOW. THE BEST CHANCE OF SNOW WILL BE IN THE MOUNTAINS
BUT SNOW LEVELS WILL BE LOWERING DURING THE WEEK.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY.
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS
ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:
WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PDT/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML
ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, November 2010
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 260804, 260805, 260806, 260807.